Canadian Scenery, Volume 2 (of 2)Willis, Nathaniel Parker
History
Canadian Scenery, Volume 2 (of 2)
Willis, Nathaniel Parker
Canada -- Description and travel; Canada -- History
the yarn from the wool and flax produced on the farm, and afterwards
weave it into cloth. The home-manufactured woollen cloth is rather
coarse, but extremely durable; it is generally dyed a blue colour.
[Illustration: _Indian Town._
(River St. John.)]
The habitations of the Americans who have settled in the British
colonies are generally better constructed than those of any other
settlers who have not had the advantage of many years’ residence in the
country. But though the house of the English emigrant, from his
imperfect knowledge of the use of edge tools, is usually a very clumsy
affair, the peculiar neatness and comfort which prevails within doors
more than compensates for the want of mechanical skill displayed
without.
It has been well observed, that the virtue of cleanliness is one of
those which Englishwomen never forget; I may add, that no women exhibit
more industry and cheerfulness than the wives of the English settlers.
It is no uncommon thing to see amongst them women, who have been
tenderly and delicately brought up, milking their own cows, making their
own butter, and performing tasks of household work from which they
formerly would have shrunk. But a determination to conform to
circumstances, soon reconciles a sensible woman to the duties of her new
situation; and that which was at first irksome, becomes, in a short
time, not only endurable, but a source of real gratification. The value
of an industrious, active, and cheerful partner, can be estimated by no
one so well as a settler in a new colony. It is to her that he owes all
his domestic comforts and enjoyments. Like the prudent housewife
described by King Solomon, “She seeketh wool and flax, and worketh
willingly with her hands. She looketh well to the ways of her household,
and eateth not the bread of idleness.” Her accomplishments are numerous,
but not exactly those that a fine lady in England might expect. Her
skill is shown in the arts of manufacturing maple sugar; candle and
soap-making; baking, cooking, salting meat and fish, knitting stockings
and mittens, spinning woollen yarns, feeding poultry, managing a dairy,
and, lastly, in mending and making clothes for herself, her husband, and
children. These are the occupations of an emigrant’s wife; and if a
female cannot resolve to enter upon them cheerfully, she should never
think of settling in the woods of Canada or New Brunswick.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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